Insecticide and fungicide compound



Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT orrica JOSEPH EIDY JAMES, OIIP IT'ISI BUBG-H, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 CLARENCE-P. I I BYBNES,TRUSTEE, OI SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA INSEGTICIDE AND FUNGICIDE COMPOUNDIo Drawing My invention relates to compositions useful as insecticidesand fungicidesand is based upon my discovery that the liquid condensedproducts resulting from *the partial i; oxidation-of hydrocarbonspossess valuable characteristics 'for such pur' oses. Such productscontain bodies of di erent molecular weights in the range from alcoholsthrough alcohol aldehydes and aldehydes, to

10 and including oxygenated acids of the alde-' h dic h drox or lactonict pe. ThGSG PIOd QtS are prefera bly obtained by the rocesses set forthin several of my copen ing applications, such as Serial No. 15 435,355,filed January 16, 1921 for partial combustion methods for treatingallphatic hydrocarbons. That application discloses the main preferredprocess in which hydrocarbons, preferably of the aliphatic or ali- 2phatic and naphthenic types and usually consisting of mineral oil orafraction thereof, are vaporized by application of heat and subjectedwhile in vapor phase and mixed with regulated proportions of oxygenpreferabl 35 in the form of air, to partial'oxidation, pre erably in thepresence of catalytic material such as the oxides or compounds ofmolybdenum or vanadium, or oxides or compounds of the high melting pointelectro-negative low atomic volume metals. The temperature of the heatedreaction zone, wherein the vaporoxygen mixture is preferably broughtinto contact with the catalyst, is maintained below a red heat and belowthe temperature at which continuous self sustained combustion wouldoccur. The exit stream is condensed preferably by passing through acondenser, and then through scrubbers where direct contact with a liquidsuch as water is, secured. The air proportion is varied according tothecatalyst used, the temperature, and the speed of the current. The amountof air 1s referably below the theoretical amount or the production ofthese partial oxidation products; and the more active the 7 catalyst thenearer the air can approach the theoretical amount. Steam or otherdiluentmay also be supplied in regulated proportions. The apparatusmayconsist of any desirable Application' flled September 1, 1925. Serial110 53346.

type of vaporizing apparatus such as a coil of pipe or a retort,externally heated by any desired heating means, the air being suppliedafterv vaporization so that the vapor-oxygen mixture passes over,through or in contact 5! with the catalytic material which may be vinthe form of a perforate screen in a conduit leading from the mixingchamber. After contact with the catalyst the gaseous mixture is led to acondenser, and thence preferably to a direct-contact scrubber orscrubbers. The hydrocarbons used are preferably. from petroleum, or theoily products from the low temperature distillation of bituminous coal,or shale oil. This a plication also 6! discloses the condensation of thecomplex partly oxidized products, and the treatment of such products bydistillation, saponification, chemical treatment, alcoholic extraction,etc. The liquid product mixture usually contains alcohols of differentmolecular weights, aldehyde-like. bodies of different molecular weights,inner and outer ethers, esters of the inner or lactone type, acidanhydrides, oxygenated organic acids of dif- 75 ferent molecularweights, these compounds being of both the saturated and unsaturatedtypes, and some cyclated bodies. The product varies somewhat accordingto the variation of factors in the process, and the fraction-of rawmaterial used.

For insecticide and fungicide use, a comound should be relativelyinsoluble or poory soluble in water when applied, and should graduallyyield a toxic material over'a con- 35 siderable period of time. Itshould also not be washed off at once by rain, and should not be tootoxic to be tolerated by the host plant or animal. I have 'found thatthe partly oxidized petroleum products ,above referred to possess thesecapabilities as well as good adhesive and spreading qualities and easeof a plication as, for example, b spraying.

hey ma also be made in any ocality and are cheap y produced. Whenkerosene or gas oil fractions are used a the raw material, suchfractions of the product obtained b distillation, for example, are usedas are ound most suitable and are preferably used in j I,

emulsified forms.

As an example of preparing such materials gas oil was subjected to thevapor phase partial oxidation process. The condensed product wasdistilled and the fraction distilling above 250 C. was treated with abase to substantially neutralize the free acids. For this purpose a weakbase, such as sodium silicate is preferable. The oil was then poured oilfrom the base layer (silicate in this case) and heated with one pound ofordinary soap in four pounds of water. About eight pounds of theoxidized oil can be thus added. The mixture is preferably heated up tothe boiling point of the water and well stirred during heating. Thisprocess gives a stock solution ready for emulsification in the field bysimply pourin into water. The quantity of water will be etermined by thedilution desired in the particular case, for example, one of stocksolution to sixty of water, one to a hundred, etc. This dilution dependsupon the concentration desired for the pest under attack, the resistanceof the plant being treated, etc.

A still more toxic solution may be obtained by preparing a mixture ofsoluble sodium or potassium soaps from the oxygenated acids obtained bymy main process of the catalytic partial oxidizing of liquidbydrocarbons. Such soaps may be directly made, or made by first makinginsoluble soaps, and then converting these into soluble soaps, and usedas emulsifiers. The resin soaps from my resin acids may be used.

I may also prepare soaps from the sulphonation roduct of the partialoxidation mixture o tained by sulphonatin the liquid product or aportion thereof an use these as emulsifiers instead of ordinary soap.

A fraction of the total oxidation product may be treated as above setforth; or certain parts of the main partial oxidation product maybeemployed; for example,'the portions obtained by the alcohol extractionprocess disclosed in my copending cases Nos. 45,024

and 747,106. In such process some of the V oxidized compounds such asmore hi hl esters, a de ydes and ketones are dissolved out and removed bdiluted alcohol as a solvent, usin such di erent degrees of dilution asare desirable. In this way I can prepare an emulsion of a more highlyconcentrated toxic oil, for special purposes.

The steps of preparing the partial oxidation product or part of it, foremulsion, may be changed; the emulsion or diluted material may beprepared in other ways, and the comptounds may be used on plants, trees,animals, e c.

I claim: 1

1. An insecticide and fungicide composition containin a materialpercentage of a partial oxidation product of mineral oil, said productcomprising a mixture of aliphatic compounds havingartificially-introduced chemicall -combined oxygen and of differentmolecu ar wei hts.

2. An insecticide an fungicide composi tion containing a materialpercentage of a partial oxidation product of mineral oil, said productcomprising a mixture of aliphatic compounds havingartificially-introduced chemically-combined oxygen and of differentmolecular weights and su stantially freed of free acids.

3. An emulsifiable liquid insecticide and fungicide compositioncontaining a material percentage of a partial oxidation product ofmineral oil, said product comprising a mixture of aliphatic compoundshaving artificially-introduced chemically-combined oxygen and ofdifferent molecular weights.

4. An insecticide and fungicide composi tion containing a materialpercentage of a partial oxidation product of mineral oil, said productcomprising a mixture of aliphatic compounds havingartificially-introduced chemically-combined oxygen of different degreesof oxidation and of different molecular weights.

5. An emulsifiable liquid insecticide and fungicide compositioncontaining a material percentage of a partial oxidation product ofmineral oil, said product comprising a mixture of aliphatic compoundshaving artificially-introduced chemically-combined oxy-. gen and ofdifferent molecular weights and containing sulphonated bodies.

6. An insecticide and fungicide composition containing sulphonatedderivatives of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing artificially-introducedchemically-combined oxygen.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y JOSEPH I-IIDY JAMES.

